The expression is NOT a reference to people critical of the subculture, nor was it EVER used as an excuse for any real crimes committed by people on skateboards. It was responding to the growing numbers of towns in the 90s ban skateboarding in public, despite the number of people who rode bikes, roller blades, and, oh yeah, drove CARS just as unsafely as skaters skateboard.

The best way for communities to avoid property damage is to provide some small skater parks here and there. Since shakeboarding is not a crime, skaters could go to the park without faer of being arrested. Yeah, it costs taxpayer money, but it would be about equal to the cost of constantly repairing damaged property. Kind of a catch-22 really.

n. The urban skater's one-line manifesto. Frequently heard blurted out by skateboarding juveniles arrested for vandalism by means of a skateboard, truancy, or marijuana use.

Strictly speaking, the act of personal locomotion on a four-wheeled board is not a crime in any jurisdiction in the United States. However, many cities have outlawed skateboarding on public edifices because it results in destructive grinding and causes injuries, the costs for both of which are borne by the taxpayer.

Furthermore, the culture associated with skateboarding youth is widely held to be a celebration of delinquency: marijuana use, rebellion against authority, truancy, and other problems are known to be prevalent in these juvenile populations. While this is no reason to discriminate against skateboarding in general, it sure doesn't help the image of the activity in the public's eye.

(A boy, about 12 years of age, with long bleached hair and extremely wide corduroy flare pants, is recklessly grinding his way down the outdoor staircase in front of Town Hall on a skateboard.)

Police Officer: "Young man, did I just see you skating down that marble staircase?"